Vehicle-spring.



enlqof the semi-elliptic springs 16. These springs are enfreint* ernten.

JACOB O. LWIS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

' immens-SPRING.,

Specification of Letters Patent.'

Application filed December 18,1806. Serial No. '348,429.-

To all lwhom it may concern:

` 3e it known thst l, JAcon O. LEV/1s, a citizen o the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State oilllinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in \"elli(le-Springs, of which the iollowing is a specilication. i.

'l`l1is invention relates to vehicle springs or spring gear, and is particularlyuseful in connection with automobiles.

The object oi the invention is toforrn a spring gear or arrangement which will reduce the jai' or shock incident to'impact or riding on rough ronds by equnlizing or dist tribnting the shock received by any spring or springs K among the other springs oi the vehicle, so as to relieve such rstdnentioned spring or springs oi the whole .strain or shock. This object is effected byconnecting two or more of the various springs ot the' vehicle in such manner-that a shock received by one will be distributed to the other or others and in which the load in one particular part of the vehicle is not carried wholly by the springs directly thereunder but is partially carried and sustained by the other springs.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is aside elevation. Fig'. 2 is e; rear elevation. Fig. 3 is a modification.

Referring specifically to the. drawings,- 6 indicates the chassis or body frame of an automobile or other vehicle, and 7 the wheels thereof mounted upon sxles 8.

The springs are preferably semi-elliptic, as, shown, the front springs 9 being arranged longitudinally With respect tothe frame, and 'connected at their front ends, as nt 10, to the iront ends ci the side bers of the frame. 'ljhe rear end o each front spring 9 is connected by a swinging shckle or hanger 3.1 Vto oneend of zin equslizing or distributing lever 12, whichissulcrumedatl to e. bracket 14 depending from the side bar of the herne at or about the middle thereof. Said'lever is arranged lengthwise under the frame, and is connected et its reartend by means of a swinging shackle 15, 'to the front mounted upon the axles in the usuel manner.

The rear ends of the rear springs 16er@ vconnected by shackles 17 to the opposite ends respectively' of a cross levsz-l 18 which is fulcrumed at 19 to a depending bracket 20 at the I niddle of thereof b sr or part of the frame. It .Will be seen that the weight is carried or transmitted at the connections 10 at the front ends oi the frame,`the side brackets 14, and the rear bracket 20. The springs at each side are connectedthrough the mod ium'of the levers I2, and any vibration of movement of either of said side springs incident to shock or strain is transmitted or distributed by means oi the lever from one spring to the other. Also, the springs on the opposite sides areA connected at the rear ends by means oi the cross lever 18. Any particular part or corner ot the Weighted body is thus not carried clone by the spring directly thereunder, but is carried in part by the otherl springs, or rather the Whole weight however placed upon the body, is cerried in equniiziog proportions by all the springs thereunder. It olows then that shock or im pact :1t any particular part or upon any particular wheel is not sustained Wholly by 'the spring at said wheel out is distributed among all the springs. Thus, on impact against one or' the front wheels the spring at that corner is flexed, and the n1ovement or shock is transmitted by means of the side lever to the rear spring on the same side, and also by means o tlie cross lever to the springs on the opposite side. The saine 'is true with respect to any other Wheel. When the two iront Wheels strike an obstruction the lwhole shock is not sustained by the front springs, but,

the-Weight carried ,by the brackets is applied to and sustained by both the front and the rear springs; and the same isrtrue when the rear Wheels strike an obs-tru ction. Accordingly all the springs play a part at all times in susteining or absorbingthe shock applied to one or moreoi the Wheels. This gives a .very smooth an@ easy riding spring gear, reducing shocks end jolts to minimum and also distributing the same so that there is little liability of undue strain of a. spring even during very rough riding. v

In the modifcation'shown in Fig. 3, the rear ends of the rear springs, instead of being connected to a cross lever, are connected directlyto the rear of the frame, by swinging shackles or connections as indicated at 2l.

4in said ligure. This gives an eqnalizing and distributing connection between the respective springs on each side,v and is attended with the advantage oi the dis-- tribution of strain between the front and rear springs ety each side andthe absorption by both oi a shockat either. i .1

The invention is not limited to the exact arrangement or manner of connection of the yar-ions springs ss shown,

but may be modified Within the scope o the invention and the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A vehlcle havlngfin combination, front and rear' nxles, .springs carried on'said axles at each side of the vehiclel body, und a cross lever fulcrnmed at the middle under the vehicle frnme and connecting springs on opp site sides to distribute shock or strain received by on one sideto the spring on the other.

:i spring lili? 2. A vehicle having, in combinutinnLfront and reni' axles, springs carried on said axles :it each sldeo the .j 

